Roof Sealant

by Fred on April 3, 2013

How To Purchase A Pre-owned Living Quarter Horse Trailer

A comfortable, well built living quarter horse trailer can bring many years of enjoyment to you and your family. The security of being able to transport all of your personal belongings, tack, horses, and other essentials safely on overnight trips, without the hassle or expense of staying in a hotel sure has strong appeal. With the rise in new trailer values, caused in part by the increasing cost of fuel and materials, pre-owned living quarter trailers have become one of the hottest items in the equestrian industry and it’s easy to see why. Everyone enjoys finding a good value and finding a quality pre-owned living quarter can literally save you thousands.

Although everything about buying a used living quarter trailer sounds wonderful, there is also a degree of risk that must be excepted. Has this trailer been maintained properlyc Has it been wreckedc Am I buying someone else’s problemc It’s impossible to know how many miles are on a trailer, so judging it’s condition can only be determined visually with a thorough inspection. This can prove to be a daunting task if you don’t know what you are looking for, but this article will explain step by step what to inspect and why. This will help you make a confident decision on selecting a quality pre-owned trailer that will be safe, reliable, and comfortable for your family and horses. For this article we will assume that you’ve already found a potential winner and are making the final inspection before you write the check. Let’s begin.

The Exterior Inspection:

Most of us want to climb directly into the living quarter to have a look around, but lets slow down just a moment. We don’t want to get too excited about upholstery colors and other cosmetic items just yet. It might distract us from other more important signs that can only be seen from the exterior. Let’s walk around the outside first and take a look.

We begin by looking for any stress fractures or obvious damage to the exterior. We don’t know if this trailer has been treated properly, or if it’s been overloaded, pulled across unsafe areas and suffered structural damage, so we should look for these stress fractures in the most common areas. Where the gooseneck meets the breast plate of the trailer, and also around the back doors are both common area for older trailers to show this type of wear. Almost all modern horse trailer manufacturers have reinforced these areas adequately, but on rare occasions you’ll find older trailers that uses very little steel in their neck frame and this can cause stress fractures. If those areas look good, let’s move on.

The tires on a trailer will tell you a lot about the condition of it’s axles and running gear. Look closely at the tire tread to make sure it is wearing evenly. If you see an unusual amount of wear on the inside edge, or the outside edge of the tire, you might be dealing with a bent axle. If ALL of the tires are showing extensive wear on the inside edge of the tire this could also indicate that the trailer has been overloaded and that these axles and tires are not handling the load. Scalloped tires, which have multiple dips and peaks all around the tire, are usually caused from being unbalanced or not having the proper air pressure. Scalloped tires should be replaced and the balance and pressure should be corrected without any other problems, but if your tires indicate a possible bent axle, as mentioned above, have a trained trailer technician look at your axles before you make your first trip.

Now its time to get a little dirty. We need to climb underneath the trailer to look for two things, the condition of the holding tanks, and to see if there is any major damage from the trailer being “bottomed out”. The tanks should not have any cracks or splits. If possible, run water through them to make sure they don’t have leaks that cannot be seen. If you notice any areas that look scraped from the trailer “bottoming out”, just make sure that the welds are still in good condition in that area. Most trailer floors can take a hard hit without causing any major damage, so if the welds look good you’ve got nothing to worry about.

We’ll need a ladder for this next part. We need to climb high enough to take a look at the roof to make sure the sealant is in good condition and that the roof hasn’t been punctured from driving under a low tree limb. This could cause very expensive problems if the roof is leaking water into your living quarter. We’ll talk more about that later, but for now just make sure the roof looks good. A living quarter trailer’s roof should be resealed about every 5 years. If the sealant has large cracks from being out in the sun it could eventually start leaking, so you’ll need to caulk over the dry sealant to ensure that it remains water tight.

The Horse Compartment:

We’ve given the exterior a thorough inspection. Now let’s take a quick look at the horse compartment. The first thing we want to do is pull up those heavy floor mats and take a look at the condition of the floor. If a trailer is not properly cleaned, horse urine can eat holes right through the aluminum floor. Make sure the floor doesn’t have any holes or weak spots. You can do this by just walking around and inspecting it visually.

While we’re in the horse compartment it is always good to make sure there are no sharp edges that could cut your horses. Anything like this should be removed and made smooth before ever making your first trip. Safety first!

The Living Quarter Interior:

Now we get to the fun part – checking out the living quarter interior. As you enter the door, look to the side to make sure that the living quarter has an inspection stamp. Just like houses, living quarter horse trailers can be built to meet certain standard safety codes. If this trailer has been build to these standards it will have a tag next to the entrance door that is issued by RVIA (recreational vehicle industry association), T.R. Arnold, or another reputable third party plan inspector. Depending on where you live and travel, you’ll find certain states that require this certification in order for your trailer to be legal on their highways. Check with each state for current laws regarding this.

Arrange to have the trailer plugged in (or generator running) so that you can run all of the appliances and electronics. This will help to prevent any unpleasant surprises on your first trip if something doesn’t work properly.

Water damage is something that all used living quarter buyers should look for and take very seriously. A dreaded roof leak can caused you to literally tear your living quarter apart and rebuild it, costing a lot of money and time in the process. When checking for water damage open up all the cabinet doors so you can see all the way to the walls. Sometimes water can travel down the walls and come out in peculiar locations. It doesn’t always create obvious water spots on the ceiling. If all these areas look good and have no water lines or rot, then walk over every area of the floor to check for soft spots. Standing water on (or under) the floor will the cause the wood to rot and the floor to feel very soft.

Does this trailer fit youc Try it on for size. Sit on the sofa, dinette, and the toilet to make sure you have leg room and it’s comfortable. Lay down in the bed to make sure it’s the right size for you. You and your family will be spending a lot of time in this trailer and you should make sure that it’s comfortable.

Getting Down To The Paperwork:

If we’ve made it this far without finding anything catastrophic we’re doing great! You might have found the perfect horse trailer for your family. Before you write that check we still need to consider the paperwork. You must make sure that this trailer has a valid title that has been transfered into the current owners name. Just because someone has bought a trailer and/or financed it in the past doesn’t mean that the original dealer handled the transfer properly. If there is only a certificate of origin, which resembles a title but in fact is only the certificate issued to the original dealer, the trailer hasn’t been transfered into anyones name yet and could cause you trouble with licensing, financing, and more. Worse of all, beware of any trailer that has been registered as “shop built” or “home built”. This is an improper way for people to obtain a license plate for a trailer that had the correct paperwork misplaced. In many areas this is being cracked down upon and could possibly result in your trailer being confiscated by the local law enforcement. Make sure there is a valid title and registration receipt in the current owners name and have it transfered properly into your name after the sale, then you’ll have nothing to worry about.

The warranty is also critical. If the trailer you have selected is still under a transferable warranty, you will usually have to pay to get that transferred into your name. If the trailer shell and the living quarter were each done by different manufacturers, you may have to transfer two warranties! This fee is usually very small and well worth the cost. Try not to void your warranty by forgetting to transfer this into your name. If in doubt, call the manufacture of your trailer and they will be glad to help you through the process.

That wraps up the basic process of inspecting a used living quarter horse trailer. If you’ve followed these simple steps you’ll make a confident and educated trailer purchase and you’ll rest assured knowing that it will be safe for your family and your horses

About the Author:
About the Author –
Matt Hoffpauir is a marketing specialist that has 14 years experience in equestrian and agricultural business, most of which have been in the horse trailer industry. Hoffpauir is the owner of ApacheAdvertising.com, and can also be found online at BurkhalterTrailers.com and EquineAuctions.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

QUESTION:
Why is my dried roof sealant leaking down the side of my house?
I have a mobile home with a flat roof that i recently resealed. for some reason the dried roof sealant is oozing down the side of my house, cant figure out how or way, anyone have any suggestions?

ANSWER:
Probably where it was applied a little too thick near the edge, and the heat from direct sunlight is melting it. When applying it, you taper it thinner near the edges. No big deal, just get on the roof and with a wide putty knife pull it away from the edge towards the center of the roof. If it’s real watery, just use an old mop or push broom. You may need to remove some of it if it is way too much.

QUESTION:
How you can easily apply a roof coating or roofing sealant?
How you can easily apply a roof coating or roofing sealant? Is there any product that has the easiest application for roof repair?

QUESTION:
best roof sealant for leaks associated with where 2 roofs connect.?
Our home has lots of add-ons and we are experiencing roof leaking in that area. A friend suggested a good temporary solution till we can afford re shingling is roofing tar or sealant. Any suggestions as to which is best, or any ecperience we should know about?

ANSWER:
This is the best stuff on the market here..they have many water tight products for different situations…..However..hopefully each add on done here has the proper metal flashing required for the job..

QUESTION:
Why Liquid EPDM or Liquid Rubber is best choice as a roof repairing sealant?
Why Liquid EPDM or Liquid Rubber is best choice as a roof repairing sealant?

ANSWER:
Liquid EPDM is nearly identical chemically to sheet EPDM but with the distinct advantage of being a liquid. It is self-adhering and seamless. Liquid Rubber have the same qualities thus they become first choice of any roofer or builder.

QUESTION:
Is it ok to use sealant/mastic between roof slates to fix leak?
There is water leaking in from my roof only when there is particularly bad wind in a certain direction, and it then leaks from the ceiling, I cant afford to re-tile the roof at the moment, would it be viable to seal the vertical joins between the slates around the affected area with a flexible waterproof sealant such as a roof/gutter sealant for example, or would that effect the roofs functionality?
Thanks

ANSWER:
thats what i would do. some of these temporary fixes last for years. or put a plastic sheet under tiled area